This summer the National Farm Worker Ministry in California and the United Farm Workers will be holding prayer vigils to remember and honor the lives of 15 farm workers who have died since 2004 due to heat-related illness. We believe that these deaths were preventable and that by only speaking out with a collective voice can we help prevent future deaths. Vigils will be held on the anniversaries of each of the workers’ deaths, beginning May 9th and ending August 2nd. Please join us for these vigils if you live in the area (see calendar below). They will be held at the Los Angeles produce market on Olympic Blvd., one block west of Alameda St. For more information please contact Lucy Boutte (bouttelucy@aol.com, (951)634-8817) or Christy Lafferty (clafferty@nfwm.org, (323)893-9605).
Heat Vigils 2009 – In Memory Of:
May 9th, 2007– Eladio Hernandez
May 16th, 2008 – Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez
June 20th, 2008 – Jose Macarena Hernandez
July 9th, 2008 – Audon Felix Garcia
July 10th, 2008 – Ramiro Carrillo Rodriguez
July 13th, 2005 – Salud Zamudio Rodriguez
July 14th, 2005 – Ramon Hernandez
July 21st, 2005 – Augustine Gudiño
July 25th, 2006 – Richard Helmuth
July 26th, 2006 – David Vraggs, Rodolfo Valladares
July 28th, 2004 – Asuncion Valdivia
July 31st, 2005 – Constantino Cruz Hernandez
July 31st, 2008 – Jorge Herrera
August 2nd, 2008 – Maria de Jesus Alvarez